Friendly Rivals
by sydisnumba1
Summary: Zak and Valant are both best friends, and huge rivals. The two also happen to be partner magicians in the legendary Troupe Gramarye. Life couldn't get any better for these two, but what happens when these best friends slowly start to become potential lovers?
1. Chapter 1: The Hangover

Chapter 1: The Hangover

A loud groan came from the living room. Of course, Zak didn't care. He was too busy sleeping. It was 4 AM. What do you expect? The groan sounded again. Zak shuffled a bit, but didn't wake up. Suddenly, the sound of loud gagging woke Zak up. "What the hell..?" Zak got up, looking around groggily. 'What in the name of magic was that noise?' He yawned and stretched, then put on his slippers. "Hey Val? You alright?" The older magician asked as he walked to his partner's room. He knocked on the door. No answer. "Val?" Zak walked into the room, but Valant wasn't in there. 'Huh… that's strange.' Zak suddenly heard the gagging sound again, followed by puking. 'Oh god… Valant?' Zak walked into the living room, finding the younger magician covered with his cape like a blanket. The guy looked like he'd seen better days. The carpet area between Valant and the coffee table was covered in puke. And, he looked greener than a pear. "Valant? Are you okay?" Valant looked up at Zak, glaring. "Do I look ok, you as-" Valant coughed, throwing up on Zak's slippers. He groaned, looking down at the puke on his older partner's slippers. "S-sorry, Zak… I-I didn't mean too…" Zak smiled at his sick friend. "It's fine, Val. Why're ya so sick anyway?" Valant groaned again, letting out a hiccup. "I'm not sick, Zak. I just have a huge hangover.." Zak chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Of course you do, Val. Now I remember… We were having our usual drinking contest." Valant nodded. "Yeah, I remember… I passed out after like, 10 bottles of beer." Zak smirked, lightly patting Valant on the back. "It was actually 7, Val. I stopped drinking when you passed out." Val raised an eyebrow. "How come?" Zak sighed. "Because I didn't want a hangover too, you moron. Even with my high as fuck alcohol tolerance." Valant lightly smiled. "More like you felt pity on me, Zakko." Zak glared at his partner, starting to lightly blush. "Pity?! Of course not! Why would I fee-." "Then why the hell are you blushing, partner?" Valant smirked at his friend, who was blushing even more. "F-fuck off, would ya?" Zak sighed, looking down at his feet. "Whatever.. I should probably clean this up before Magnifi and Thalassa come back. Wanna help?" Valant sat up, but turned a deeper shade of green when he did so. "I don't feel so good all of a sudden…" Zak smiled sympathetically at his younger friend. "Well, I wouldn't either in your state. C'mon Val. Let's get you to bed." Valant crossed his arms like a child. "But Zaaaak. It's only 5:15 AM." Zak then sat next to his partner, rubbing the yellow magician's back. "I know that, Val." He paused. "Hey Valant?" Valant looked up at his red clad friend. "What's up?" "You remember the first ever party we went to? And I mean an actual party. Like one with drinks and loud music and crazy shit like that." Valant nodded. "Yeah.. I was a college freshman and you were a senior. I remember that." Valant sighed as he thought back to those days. 'Good times those were.'

 **"Shadi… Aren't I a bit young to be here?" The younger man tugged at Shadi's pants. "Shut up, Kevin! If you keep running your mouth, they'll know you're too young!" Kevin nodded, looking around nervously. "Man, this place is packed." Shadi nodded. "Well, this is one of the biggest clubs in town. Of course it's packed. Now come on, I'm thirsty." Kevin nodded, walking after the older man towards the bar. "Ey Kev. Want anything to eat?" Kevin nodded, feeling his stomach start to rumble. "Can I have some nachos?" Shadi nodded. "Want anything to drink?" Kevin grinned. "A milkshake!" The bartender raised an eyebrow. "A...milkshake? What the hell is this kid thinking, ordering a milkshake?" Shadi chuckled nervously. "He means champagne." The bartender glared at them, leading Shadi to nervously chuckle." Hehehehe, uh, excuse us." Shadi led Kevin outside, glaring at him. "Kevin. This is a bar. You're lucky enough the bartender knows us well enough to not tell on you for being underage. But ordering a milkshake? What are you, 12?" Kevin crossed his arms, grumbling. "18, actually.. But, I like milkshakes!" Shadi sighed. "Kevin, I know you like milkshakes. But this is a BAR. As in, like, a place with drinks and music and stripper poles." Kevin raised an eyebrow at his older friend. "What?" "Well, not stripper poles. This isn't a strip club." Shadi chuckled. 'You're WAAAAY too young to go to a strip club.' Kevin tilted his head. "What's a strip club?" Shadi patted Kevin on the shoulder, starting to sweat. "That's…. a story for when you're my age." Kevin grumbled. "But you're 21.." Shadi rolled his eyes. "You'll be 21 in 3 years, you moron." Kevin continued to grumble, "Whatever… Can we just go in?" The older man sighed, nodding. Then the two went inside. Shadi led Kevin back to the bar, where the two ordered their drinks and food. "And I'll have champagne, please." The bartender smirked. "There we go." He then scoffed. "Nearly said a milkshake.. Almost exposed yourself, Kev." The bartender left, returning in minutes with 2 mugs of whiskey for Shadi and a bottle of champagne for Kevin. Kevin took a sip of the champagne. "T-this is good, Shadi! I really like it!" Shadi smirked, ruffling the younger man's hair. "I knew ya would. Hey, want a sip of my whiskey? I got another mug." Kevin nodded, downing the mug in a few quick gulps. Shadi chuckled. "Easy Kev… Don't wantcha getting… drunk. Oh no." Kevin hiccupped, smiling up at Shadi. "Wooooooooow, Shaaadi! T-that was... d-deeeliciousssh!" Shadi immediately facepalmed as he looked at his younger friend. 'Oh boy… He's drunk. That's not good. He's not even old enough to drink.' The bartender turned to Shadi, sharing his thoughts. "Dude, you should probably get him home… At this point, he might get arrested for drinking and being underage.." Shadi nodded, noticing Kevin had disappeared. "Kevin? Where are you?" Suddenly, Shadi heard a loud hiccup, noticing the freshman talking to some ladies. 'He's gonna fuck it up… I just know it.' Despite his drunken state, the younger man actually was doing well. Surprised, Shadi walked up to his friend. "Heeeeey Shadi! These… p-pretty ladieeesh think I-I'm c-c-cute!" Shadi raised an eyebrow, looking at them. "Well, he is kinda cute, I'll admit it." One said, looking at her shorter friend. "He seems to be a bit underage to be drinking though." The shortest one said, looking at the skinniest. "So he's a bit rebellious, eh? How adorable." The three giggled, smirking at Shadi, who started to lightly blush. "Heh, yeah… Anyway, c'mon Kevin. We have to get outta here before the cops come." Kevin giggled, letting out a light burp as he leaned on Shadi. "Buuuut… I waaanna ssshtay heeeere.. with th-theeem." He drunkenly nodded to the girls, who waved back, giggling at the drunken freshman. Shadi sighed. '5 seconds.. That's all it should take…' Kevin hiccupped again. "Ssssshaaadiii, I looove you…" Shadi lightly blushed again, looking away from his younger friend. 'Yeesh, j-just how drunk are you..?' Kevin let out a loud giggle, before falling asleep on Shadi. 'Yup. 5 seconds.' Shadi looked at his passed out friend, nervous for the hangover he was gonna receive in the morning. The older man sighed, putting Kevin on his back to piggyback him. "Come on, little buddy… Let's get back to our dorm." Shadi waved to the ladies and the bartender, and then headed out.**

"Yeah... Those were some good times, weren't they Val?" No answer came from the younger magician. "V-Valant?" Zak looked around, only to find his friend slumped down next to him, snoring heavily. Zak smirked, chuckling to himself. "Of course you fell asleep, Val. You lazy piece of shit, you." Valant let out a long yawn, starting to drool. Zak sighed, wiping the drool off of his sleeping friend. He then casually picked him up. He looked at the face of his sleeping partner, watching as his mouth moved with every snore. "Aww, you look cute when you sleep." Zak grinned, giving Valant a kiss on the cheek for the hell of it. Zak's grin grew when a big blush formed on his partner's cheeks. "Yep. Definitely cute." Valant yawned again, hiccupping in his sleep. Zak decided to start carrying his partner in a bridal style, instead of carrying him like a cat, finally standing up. "How about NOW we get you to bed, Val?" He looked over at the clock, which read about 6 AM. 'That is pretty early to get to sleep...' Zak looked down at Valant, who was sleeping soundly. 'But… it's better to get him to bed, just in case he gets sick again.' Valant suddenly turned towards Zak, giving the older magician a hug. "I…loveyu, Zak…" Zak paused at that, looking down at the now smiling Valant. "Heh, I love you too, you gay bean." Zak walked towards Valant's room, thinking about Thalassa for a bit. 'But, Valant's always been into girls… Could he be bisexual? Not that anything's wrong with that. Plus, Thalassa is rather cute. Even if she is bossy.' Zak sighed, holding Valant closer to him. "Maybe he was always gay and was just pretending to like girls to hide it from me.' Zak sighed again, giving Valant another kiss, but on the opposite cheek. 'But Val… I'd never judge you… Gay, straight or both, you're still my best friend and partner.' After a few minutes, Zak carried the sleepy Valant to his room, laying him on the bed. Valant immediately curled up, hugging a bunny who happened to be lying on the bed with him. 'Heh. Of course Cuddlesworth is here. After all, he does live up to his name in that he loves to be cuddled.' Zak tucked his partner into his bed, kissing him directly on the lips before he left. "Goodnight, my King of Hearts." Valant let out a loud snore, his cheeks turning a rather rosy red. Zak chuckled at the snore as he walked off, careful not to make any loud noises to wake the younger man up. Zak then walked towards the living room, letting out a heavy sigh. "Welp. Looks like I have some work to do before Magnifi and Thalassa come home." Before he did though, he cleaned the puke off of his slippers, put them in the washing machine, then replaced them with a small pair of boots. "Now that that's taken care of… Looks like I got a carpet to clean."

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(Author's Note: Yeah, hi. This is my first story on , so sorry if the layout is a little weird. Anyway, here's some minor info about Friendly Rivals. First off, SPOILERS FOR APOLLO JUSTICE. Do not read this story if you have not beaten AJ:AA. Second off, Valant being called Kevin before he got his stage name is a headcanon of mine. His real name is not officially known. Third off, when a sentence is in 'single quotes', the person is thinking, while when in "double quotes", they're talking. Fourth off, when a paragraph is in bold, that means it's a flashback. There might not be many flashback scenes, but if there is one, it'll be in bold. Finally, this story does not take place in an AU of Ace Attorney. All events in this story are probably not canon, save events such as Thalassa marrying Zak or Zak getting killed by Kristoph. Enjoy your life, and this story!)


	2. Chapter 2: The Game

Chapter 2: The Game

"Ey Val. How about a little poker game with me?" Zak looked up at his younger partner, who was currently busy playing on his DS. "Poker? But Zak…" Zak interrupted him. "Oh shush, Valant. You're the second best poker player in the Troupe." Valant sighed, a small smirk on his face. "Yeah, I know that, but you're the best. And you've never lost since your brother beat ya. And that was a long time ago." Zak rolled his eyes, letting out a lighthearted chuckle. "Well, you could at least try to beat me. Come on, I'll go easy on you." Valant crossed his arms. "Even going easy on me, you still beat me." Zak sighed. "Come on, Val. Just one game?" Valant sighed, putting his DS down. "Fine… But only ONE. I'm about to catch Palkia…" The younger man got up, following the older one to their living room table. "Alrighty Valant. I'll let you shuffle this time." Zak handed the deck to Valant, who raised an eyebrow. "And why should I trust you? Usually when I shuffle, you immediately get the best hand and I get a bunch of twos.." Zak chuckled, patting Valant on the head. "Well, it won't be like that this time, I promise." Valant took the deck, shuffling it nervously. He kept glancing up at Zak, expecting some kind of rude remark or something, but all Zak did was just watch in silence. 'Maybe, he's plotting my poker demise or something…' Valant eventually finished shuffling, handing Zak and himself 2 cards, leaving 3 out on the table, and the deck next to it. "I bet $1 to start." Zak placed one buck on the table, looking up at Valant. "Wanna fold?" Valant looked at his cards, then at the 3 cards in front of him. 'Well, so far, I have one pair… Maybe I should wait a bit.' Valant shook his head, taking out a 5. "Nah, in fact, I'll raise the bet to $6!" Zak chuckled at his partner. "Raising the bet so early, ey? Hmph, your ego will be your downfall, Valant." Valant showed an egotistical smirk to his friend as Zak placed down the fourth card. 'Let's see… 2 Aces, 2 5's… That's enough for a 2 pair.' He looked up at Zak, who placed another dollar. 'That's weird… He usually would've folded by now..' Valant placed another dollar as well, leading Zak to place the 5th card, and a buck, down: an Ace of Hearts. Valant immediately grinned, forgetting about poker faces for a second. "I fold!" Valant placed down his full house, revealing the Aces of Club, Diamond, and Heart respectively, and the two fives. Zak sighed, placing down his cards: The Ace of Spade, and a King of Clubs. "Congrats Val. You won." Valant paused for a minute, letting those 4 words sink in. It's a phrase he hadn't heard Zak say for a while. Or at all, to be honest. 'I-I won?' "I WON!" Valant let out a happy squeal, giggling to himself as he continued to chant. "I won, I won I wooon! I finally beat Zak at a poker gaaaaame!" Immediately, Roger and Thalassa peeked their heads out from their respective rooms. "Did I hear Vally say he won a poker game?" Roger asked, surprised. "Against Zak of all people?" Zak nodded, grinning at the younger magician. "That he did." Roger gasped, running towards Valant. "Vally! Wait! Tell me all about it!" Thalassa on the other hand, smirked at Zak. She said nothing until Roger and Valant were well out of the room. "So? Let me guess? He cheated?" Zak shook his head. "Nope. He won. No tricks, no gimmicks" Zak walked off, leaving Thalassa alone for a second. "My bracelet reacted to that." Zak paused, turning around to his wife with a small smirk on his face. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?" Thalassa giggled, shaking her head. "Not with the bracelet, no. So, he did cheat after all?" Zak shook his head again. "Nah, I just let him win." Thalassa raised an eyebrow. "You did… what?" "I let him win, that's what." Zak walked over to the couch, scooting over to make room for Thalassa, who sat down right next to him. "Why'd you let him win, anyway?" Zak shrugged, looking at his younger wife. "I dunno. I just felt like letting him win for once." Thalassa smirked. "Oooor, maybe you felt pity on him losing all the time? Zak immediately blushed. "I-I did not! I just…. wanted him to win something, that's all! I mean, the guy hasn't really won much growing up." Thalassa snickered at Zak, giving her husband a small kiss on the cheek. "Aww, but honey…. you're blushing." Zak looked away, crossing his arms. 'Oh god, I am.. But, shit, I can't just admit that.' Thalassa sighed at her tsundere husband, getting up. "Well, you can continue to be like that. I'm going to make dinner." She walked away, leaving Zak to sulk. Meanwhile in another room, Valant was currently explaining his poker victory to the newest Gramarye, Roger Retinz. His stage name was Mr. Reus, a suggested stage name by Valant because he would rather not be called "Something" Gramarye. "And so that, Rogie, is how I won the poker game against Zak." Roger looked up at him in awe, a huge smile on his face. "Wow, Vally… That's amazing! I thought no one could beat Zak at poker…" Valant shook his head. "Well, nobody but me, of course. After all, I am the greatest at everything." Roger giggled. "Even cooking?" Valant paused, blushing for a minute. "Well, besides cooking." Roger raised an eyebrow. "What about waking up late? Don't you have narcolepsy or something?" Valant sweatdropped. "Yeah, I do, don't I? Ok, besides cooking and waking up late." Roger then grinned. "And don't forget talking to Thal-" "Ok, I ALAKAGET IT, ROGER!" Roger backed away, sniffling. "I-I didn't mean to upset you, Vally.." Valant looked at the young magician, immediately wanting to take it back. 'Shit, he's such a crybaby… But, I did yell at him. Poor kid..' Valant bent down, rather low due to Roger's small height, to give Roger a small hug. "I'm sorry, Rogie… I didn't mean to yell at you." Roger sniffled, smiling up at Valant. "It's okay.. I know you didn't mean it." After Valant let him go, Roger smiled up at the way older man. "Well, I'm gonna watch some Pokemon. Wanna join me?" Valant nodded, heading into the living room with Roger. A loud snore filled the room immediately. "What was that, Vally?" Valant shrugged, as the snore sounded again. "I dunno. But it sounds like a snore." Roger walked closer to the two couches. "It's coming from the TV couch…" Valant and Roger walked up to said TV couch, finding Zak flopped on the couch, snoring loudly. Valant chuckled, looking at his older partner. "Oh, it's just Zak. Snoring like a wood chipper.." Roger snickered. "He's snoring really loud…" Valant sweatdropped again, patting Roger. "That's exactly what I said, but as a simile.." Roger raised an eyebrow. "What's a simile?" Valant facepalmed, while Roger looked at him with a confused glance. "Well, how are we supposed to watch TV with Zak hogging the couch?" Valant looked at the couch. "There seems to be enough room for one of us. How about you take the other couch, while I sit with Zak?" Roger shrugged. "Suit yourself." Valant scooted in next to the sleeping magician, who seemed to not notice Valant's presence. Roger grabbed the remote before sitting down, turning to Cartoon Network, where Pokemon was being shown. "Hehe, the Sinnoh series is the best one!" Valant watched, along with Roger, being careful not to disturb Zak as he slept. About 45 or so minutes in of watching TV, Valant started to feel a bit sluggish. 'Maybe it's because Zak is sleeping next to me?' He looked over at Zak, who was now leaning on him. Valant chuckled, lightly kissing Zak's cheek. If Roger wasn't busy watching TV, he would've made a huge ass deal about it. 15 more minutes later, Valant let out a yawn, falling asleep as well. Zak, who leaned back onto the couch at that very moment, fluttered awake. "Val? Is that you?" He said sleepily, noticing the younger man on top of him, specifically, on his stomach. Zak smiled, wrapping one arm around the younger magician. He then fell back asleep, leaving Valant to rest his head on his arms like a cat. "Hey Valant, you o- Oh… aww…" Roger looked at the sleeping partners, giggling to himself. "Aww, they're so cute! I can't wait to show them this when they wake up!" He giggled evilly, taking out his phone and recording them. "Wait until Thalassa sees… Oooh, or even Magnifi!" Roger continued to giggle evilly, leaving the two older men to sleep. "Enjoy your little nap, you two… Enjoy it while you can…"

* * *

(Well, alrighty then! Ok, first off, I know Roger isn't listed as a character, but I needed some way to continue the plot. Tbh, I might not even use Magnifi in the story, ignoring minor cameos. Yeah, I might just replace him with Roger. But I'll think about it. Now, as for the ending part with the timestamps; I know I could've used a timeskip, but it just felt awkward. Also, this part of the story takes place a year and a few months after Thalassa and Zak got married. I know that technically means Zak is cheating on Thalassa, but shush. I don't know how many chapters exactly this fanfiction will have, but I do have an idea for the final chapter. I won't spoil, obviously, but I will say that it takes place in the present. When I say present, I don't mean our present 2017, I mean current Ace Attorney present 2028. It'll be a sad one, that's for sure. Now I have to go. I've said too much. Enjoy!)


	3. Chapter 3: The Beach

Chapter 3: The Beach

"Is everybody ready to vaaaacaaation?!" Zak burst into the living room in a pair of swim trunks. Thalassa looked up at her husband, holding _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ in her hand. "Vacation? What do you mean?" Zak grinned, holding up 4 tickets. "Vacation meaning I JUST GOT 4 TICKETS TO SUNSET WATER PAAARK!" Thalassa gasped, squealing with delight. "Really?! You did?!" Zak nodded. "That's enough for me, you, Valant, Roger and... Oh." Zak sighed. "Shit, there's 5 of us, and only 4 tickets. One of us will have to stay home." Thalassa shrugged. "I could do it. It could be a guys night out.." Valant poked his head in, Roger at his side. "What could?" Zak held up the tickets. "Oh, just these tickets to Sunset Water Park." Valant and Roger gasped. "Sunset Water Park?!" Roger grinned. "That place is the coolest Water Park in all of Los Angeles!" Valant nodded. "Yeah! And it has the biggest and best beach! Even better than some of the most well-known beaches.." Zak chuckled. "There's only one problem. I only have 4 tickets. That means all five of us can't go." Roger smirked. "Well, that can be solved. The old man can just stay home." At the mention of his age, Magnifi peeked out of his room, looking tired as hell. "Old man does what now?" Thalassa glared at Roger. "Roger! Daddy is not an old man!" She then turned to her father. "Zak got 4 tickets to Sunset Water Park. Wanna come?" Magnifi raised an eyebrow, yawning. "Tickets to a water park? And what the hell did you do to win that, Zak?" Zak shrugged boastingly. "Simple. I answered a simple history question." The old man looked at Zak with a disbelieving glance. "You answered a school question right?" Zak rolled his eyes. "I may not have been very good at school, Mags, but I was puh-retty good at World and US History. A simple question about the Mongols, and I won the tickets." Magnifi's glance of disbelief turned to confusion. "The…. Mongols?" Zak scoffed. "Never heard of the Mongols? Well, the Mongols were an Asian group of nobles led by Genghis Khan. Starting in 1206, they slowly took over all of Asia, ignoring areas such as the-." Zak continued to explain who they were. Roger looked up at Zak. "Wooow. I thought he was an idiot! We're still learning about them in school... I should write all this down." With a firey poof, Roger summoned a notebook, scribbling down the details. Thalassa and Magnifi exchanged confused glances, while Valant just sat there, petting a rabbit. "R-right.. Well, Mughals aside." "Mongols." Zak corrected. "The Mughals are a very different part of history, Magnifi-." Magnifi's confused glance turned into a glare, leading Zak to change the subject. "N-never mind.. Uh, so who wants to stay behind for the Water Park?" Nobody spoke up for a minute or two. "I will." Magnifi sighed. Thalassa gasped. "But daddy! You need a vacation!" The old man sighed again, but it was heavier. "Oh, I know that. But maybe a staycation away from you idiots- not you, Thalassa- is just what I need." Roger raised an eyebrow. "Idiots? Us? Really?" Magnifi nodded. "Yes, you 3. Now you kids have fun. I'll probably be sleeping if you need me." He walked back into his room, leaving the four students alone. "Well, I guess that just leaves the 4 of us, huh?" Roger looked up at his magician seniors. The three of them nodded. "Well, let's get packing then!" Roger grinned, running off to his room. The three others did the same, returning with bathing suits and beach equipment within 30 minutes. "So…. Who's driving?" Valant asked, looking at them all. For a minute, it went silent. "No one? Welp, guess I'll do it. We can take my Jeep." Roger gasped. "You have a Jeep?!" Valant nodded. "Yup. And I can show you. Come on!" Valant then walked off, with Roger, Zak, and Thalassa at his heel. Within minutes, they reached the garage. After opening it, they looked around. "So where's your jeep, Val?" Roger looked around curiously. Valant pointed to the purple Jeep, grinning smugly. "Right there. Isn't it an alakabeauty?" Zak rolled his eyes. "Not really. Purple is a rather ug-"Thalassa glared at Zak, then turned to Valant. "I think it's wonderful, Val. But, I don't remember ever seeing it here.. When did you get it?" Valant thought for a minute. "Uh…. Well, when I graduated college, I drove it over there. Remember?" Thalassa shook her head, shrugging. "Nope." Val sighed. "Well, either way, we can drive this to the beach, but I don't feel like driving." Thalassa shrugged. "I guess I will. Hey, Roger, wanna sit in the front with me?" Roger nodded, grinning. "Yes please, Mrs. Thalassa!" Thalassa smiled at the young student, then walked over to the Jeep, getting inside. "Alrighty then. Let's go, guys!" Roger then got in the front seat, with the two guys getting in the back of the van. Then, they headed off, on their way to the Water Park. An hour or two later, Roger sighed. "Thalassa? Are we there yet?" Thalassa shook her head. "No Roger. The GPS says an hour and a half more until we get there." Roger groaned, turning around to the backseat. "Zaaaak… I'm boored." The older magician looked up at him, rolling his eyes. "Why dahell are you telling me this?" Roger shrugged. "Because

you're the only person I have to talk to since Vally is asleep." Zak looked down at his sleeping partner and smiled. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot he was sleeping." Zak suddenly paused as he heard Val's stomach growl. Roger snickered. "Guess Vally forgot to eat before he left. Well, guess you gotta wake him up, Zakko." Zak looked back up at Roger, a slightly sad look on his face. "But he looks so cute…." Roger raised an eyebrow. "What?" Zak looked at the younger magician. "Everyone looks cute when they sleep." Roger shrugged. "Whatever you say, Zak." He then smirked, cupping his hands around his mouth. "HEY VALANT! WAKE UP, YOU LAZY ASS!" Valant's eyes slowly opened as he let out a yawn. "Ass? Wha..?" He turned to Zak, who smiled at him. "H-heya Zakko… Why'd ya wake me up?" Zak let out a small sigh. "Your stomach was growling while you were sleeping." Valant tilted his head. "But I don't feel hungry.." As soon as he said that, his stomach immediately growled. Zal chuckled, patting Val on the shoulder. "You may not feel hungry, but you sure do SOUND hungry. Did you bring any snacks?" Valant shook his head, looking up at Zak. Zak sighed. "Of course you didn't. Don't worry. I brought granola bars." Zak took out a granola bar, handing it to Valant. "Thanks Zak.." Valant took a bite of the bar, while Zak and Roger went back to what they were doing. Several hours later, they made it to the beach. "Alright, everyone out. We're here." Roger got out, giggling to himself. "Wow… It's really pretty…" Thalassa nodded, then turned back to the jeep. 'Wonder why the guys haven't come out yet..' She looked down at Roger. "Hey Roger, could you go check on Zak and Valant?" Roger nodded, peeking in the jeep window. He then giggled. "They fell asleep! Should we leave them here? Thalassa walked over to Roger and looked in the Jeep window. Sure enough, the two older magicians were sleeping, leaning on each other. She sighed. "Guess we might as well.. I don't want to wake them up.." She turned the motor of the car on, running the cold air so they didn't die of heat exhaustion. Once the cold air flowed through the car, Thalassa and Roger walked off, leaving Zak and Valant to sleep.

-TIMESKIP-

Valant let out a huge yawn, looking around. 'It's almost night already? Eesh.' He then looked to the front of the jeep, noticing the lack of Thalassa and Roger. 'Huh? They must've left us here.' A loud snore led him to turn around. 'Still the heaviest sleeper on the planet, I see…' Zak had leaned back in the car seat, snoring heavily. Valant rolled his eyes playfully, then lightly shook his partner. "Hey Zak. Wake up." The older magician didn't respond. Grumbling, Valant shook him harder. When Zak continued to sleep, Valant sighed and slapped the man. In response, Zak immediately punched him in the face. "Fucking hell… What bitch thought it was a go- OHMYGODVALANT!" Zak looked over at his partner. He was covering his nose, which seemed to be bleeding. "I-It hurts.." Zak leaned in closer to Valant. "S-shit, Val, I'm sorry… You ok?" Valant shook his head, backing away nervously. "I-It hurts.." Zak sighed. "Val, come on.. When have I ever hurt you on purpose?" Valant raised an eyebrow at his older friend. "Ok, bad question. But look. I truly am sorry.. Come on, Val… Can't you forgive me?" He went to hug his partner, who was lightly shaking. "O-Okay…" The two didn't move for a second, then Zak glanced at Valant "Val.. Do you want me to carry you or something?" Valant continued to cover his nose, nodding. Zak chuckled lightly, then motioned towards the door. "I can't carry you unless you want to hit your head on the car hood. Come outta the car first." Valant nodded, doing that. Once he did, Zak lifted the guy up with no effort. He then grabbed their stuff, putting it on one arm, while carrying Valant with his other arm. Valant chuckled lightly, looking down at Zak. "Wow Zak, you're pretty strong.." Zak rolled his eyes, smirking. "Tell me something I don't know, buddy." He then lightly shook Valant, sighing. "Don't fall asleep on me now, you narcoleptic. There's a reason this place is called Sunset Water Park. And I want to show you why." Valant nodded, holding onto Zak's shoulder as he walked up a hill. Once Zak went all the way up the hill, he placed Valant down besides the tree. "Here we are, Val." Valant looked around. "There's nothing here but a tree-." Zak covered his mouth. "Shush. You talk too much, you know that?" Valant nodded, as Zak pointed towards the slowly setting sun. "Now look." He sat next to his partner, taking his hand off of Valant's mouth. Valant gasped as they watched the sun set. "I-Is that-?" Zak nodded, lightly patting Valant on the back. "What? Never seen a sunset before?" Valant shook his head. "Not in a while…" He turned to Zak. "I was pretty little then. Maybe about 6 or 7? And even so, I fell asleep after a bit." Zak rolled his eyes, smirking. "Of course you fell asleep. C'mere you.." He opened his arms, letting Valant lie on his chest. The younger man did just that, hugging Zak's chest as they watched the sun set. "Hey Zak?" Zak looked down at his partner, ruffling his hair a bit. "Yeah?" Valant leaned in closer to Zak. "I know Thalassa and Roger are probably looking for us, but can we stay here and watch the sun set a bit longer?" Zak grinned, patting Val's head. "Of course, buddy. I'm sure Thalassa'll understand." Valant grinned as well, as the two of them looked up at the setting sun. "And besides." Zak continued. "Who wouldn't want to watch the sunset with their best friend?"

* * *

(Oh. My. God. I am so sorry for the wait! I've been busy with school, The Sims 4, and I had to be away from the computer the last few days due to sickness. Anyway, I know, I know, there's too much filler in the beginning. I could add a timeskip, but I really wanna work on Chapter 4. Maybe someday, I'll do it later. But, for now, there's filler! Also, I'm kind of tempted to write a mini chapter about Magnifi's adventure at the house while everyone else is at the beach. I might make it a separate story, or I might just add it in after Chapter 4. Idk. I'll figure it out. But for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I put a lot of work into it!

Edit: Why'd I edit the chapter? I just noticed and edited a few minor mistakes in the chapter, nothing major. )


	4. Chapter 4: The Movies

Chapter 4: The Movies

"But I don't wanna watch a scary movie…." Valant whimpered, looking up at Zak. "Why can't we just watch Circus Gone Wrong..?" Zak groaned, shaking his head. "Because it's dumb, that's why. We're watching Scaredy Cats! It's not even that scary.." Valant nodded quickly. "Y-yeah it is! Those cats clawed someone's EYES out!" Zak snickered, patting Valant on the head, despite the hat in his way. "It wasn't even that bad, you baby. Besides, I've already asked Roger and Thalassa. They all said no." Valant raised an eyebrow. "Wait.. What about Magnifi? I thought he loved horror movies…" Zak nodded, chuckling nervously. "He does, obviously. But, I uh, asked already." Valant grinned at the new possibility. "What'd he say?" The older man sighed. "He said yes. But… he's asleep." Valant sweatdropped. "Tell me you're joking.." Zak shook his head. "Go check for yourself, Val." The younger man looked around nervously, then got up, walking to Magnifi's room. He cracked the door open, just in case the old man was sleeping. Sure enough, Magnifi was flopped on his bed, snoring loudly. Valant groaned, accidentally opening the door more in exasperation. 'Oh shit, I don't wanna wake him up.. He's scary if you wake him up..' Unfortunately for the yellow magician, Magnifi yawned, looking right up at him. "Uggh… What time is it..?" Valant chuckled nervously. "6-6 PM, sir.." Magnifi looked at him for another second, then fell asleep again, rolling on his side. Valant let out an exasperated sigh, then walked back to Zak, who was smirking. "I told you so." Valant grumbled, crossing his arms. His partner let out a heavy sigh, patting Valant on the back. "Well, we're gonna be late if we don't hurry up and leave. Come on, Val." Valant whimpered, walking behind him. "Okay…" After a 15 minute drive, Zak and Valant arrived at the theater. "Alrighty Val. We're here. You can stop cowering in the back seat now." Valant glared at him. "Haha. Very funny, Zak." Zak chuckled, parking the car. "What? Never heard of a joke?" Valant rolled his eyes, as the two men got out of the car and walked to the ticket booth. "Weeelcome to Regal Cinemas, how can I help you two?" Zak looked at the ticket guy, smirking at his eagerness. "We'd like two tickets to see Scaredy Cats, please." The ticket guy grinned. "Ooooooh, Scaredy Cats?! I took my girlfriend to see that movie, and she was absolutely MORTIFIED!" Zak chuckled. "Was she really?" The guy nodded. "Hell yeah! There was this one particular scene- I can't say due to spoilers- where she practically jumped into my arms in fright. It was hilarious!" Zak immediately burst out laughing, only to notice Valant's nervous face shortly afterwards. "S-sorry Val. Don't worry. I'll protect ya from the really scary parts." Valant nervously hugged his partner, who patted him on the head as they looked at the ticket guy. "Val here isn't necessarily a horror fan like I am.." The ticket guy chuckled, turning to Valant. "I feel you, man. I'm not really into that kinda stuff either, but it was a pretty good movie. Plus, it's only really scary if gore ain't your thing." Valant hugged Zak tighter at that. "I hate gorey movies!" The ticket guy sighed, handing the two men their tickets. "Guess you're outta luck then." He then looked up at Zak. "Well, hope you have fun!" Zak smiled at the ticket guy, then casually pulled Valant off of him. "Trust me Valant, it'll be fine. And if you need to hide, I'll be here." Valant nodded, walking behind his partner as they walked to the concessions stand. After buying their food and drinks, the two headed to their seats, just in time for the movie to start. "Rats! We missed the previews! There were some really good movies I wanted to see too." Zak said as he sat down. Valant chuckled nervously at that. "Yeah… me too.." 'Anything's better than a horror movie preview..' After that plus a quick regal cinema thing, the movie started, on a rather lighthearted note. Valant sighed at that, chuckling to himself. 'Huh... this isn't that ba-' "AAAAAAAAAAGGHH!" Valant immediately screamed at the sudden gruesome scene, shivering heavily. Zak chuckled lightly, wrapping an arm around Valant. "Val, come on.. The movie just started. That wasn't even that bad.." Valant leaned on Zak's chest, still shivering. "Y-yes it was! God, my throat hurts just thinking about that.." Zak sighed, rubbing his partner's back to try to comfort him. 'Eesh.. If that scared him that badly, then I can't imagine what the later scenes will be like…' Valant suddenly leaned closer into Zak's chest, his shivering increasing. "Zaaaak…. I wanna go home.." Zak wrapped his other arm around Valant, rubbing his back slightly faster. "Valant, we're not even 5 minutes into the movie.." He then sighed. "Look, the movie's an hour 30. You don't have to watch it if you don't want to, but if it scares you that badly, I guess we can leave after 30 minutes." The younger magician looked up at Zak, smiling nervously, but sympathetically. "T-thank you, Zak…" Zak sighed again, looking back up at the movie. "No problem. Oh, and you might wanna look away. I spy a death coming up." Valant lightly nodded, burying his face into Zak's chest. Sure enough, as Zak predicted, a character's eyes got clawed out, just like in the trailer. "Man, I saw that coming a mile away. Like, really? The cat was literally RIGHT THERE!" Zak muttered to himself, looking down to check on his nervous friend. The younger magician looked up at the screen, glad to see that there would be no more deaths for a while. Zak continued to rub his back, just in case Valant got scared again. The older magician secretly didn't want to force Valant to watch the movie with him, but at the same time, Scaredy Cats was a classic, and the remake was proving to be just as good, or even better. For about an hour, the next few deaths weren't as gruesome, and the movie seemed to relax a bit on the scariness. However, around 1 hours and 10 minutes, the cats flooded in, and overtook most of the main heroes in a really gorey fight. At that, Valant really got scared, and started to cry. Zak looked down at Valant, hugging him tightly. "Oh god, Val.. don't cry.." Zak sighed, figuring this was a good time for them to go. Thankfully, they were sitting in the front, with not a lot of people around them. 'Welp… Guess I won't get to see who survived the cat attack.' He then picked up Valant, holding him close to his chest in a bridal style, and left the theater. Valant clung on to Zak's chest, shivering like he had been in Antarctica for an entire year. As Zak left, he noticed the ticket booth guy. "Leaving so early?" He then noticed Valant in Zak's arms. "I'm gonna guess the cat attack was too gorey for your friend here." Zak nodded, holding Valant in more of a childlike pose so he could rub his back to soothe the nervous magician. "Yeah.." The ticket booth guy chuckled lightly. "Well, if you want, I can tell you who survives the cat attack. I won't spoil anything else afterwards." Zak thought for a minute, hugging Valant tighter as he started to whimper. "Zaaaaaak…" Zak put Valant back in the bridal position, rocking him slowly. "Thanks… You know, I never caught your name.." The ticket booth guy smiled. "Chad. My name is Cenna Ma, but most folks call me Chad." Zak nodded, continuing to rock the crying magician. "Ok Chad. Thanks, but no thanks. I fear that if Valant hears any more about the movie, he's going to start bawling like a baby." His voice lowered so Valant wouldn't hear. "And this is already embarrassing enough as it is.." Chad chuckled again. "Surprisingly, I understand.. I guess I'll see ya around." Zak nodded, looking down at Valant. The younger magician let out a yawn, sluggishly looking up at Zak. Zak playfully rolled his eyes, putting Valant back in the childlike hold. "Tired, buddy?" Valant nodded, letting out another yawn. Zak patted Valant on the back, then walked on home. Once he arrived, he put Valant down in the living room. "Well, we should probably get to sleep now. Night Val." Valant nodded, heading to his room. Zak did so as well, immediately noticing Thalassa already in the bed. "Heya honey.." Zak smiled, kissing Thalassa before heading off to the closet to change. "How was the movie?" She asked, sitting up in the bed. Zak shrugged, taking out a pair of red pajamas. "It was alright, but Val got too scared, so we had to leave early." Thalassa chuckled. "Of course he did.. You know Valant doesn't like scary movies. And, I mean, I can't blame him." Zak sighed. "Well, I thought it would just be jumpscares that he wouldn't like." After putting on the pajamas, Zak crawled into the bed next to Thalassa. He gave Thalassa another kiss, then laid down next to her. Thalassa chuckled, hugging Zak from the side. "Night Zak.." Zak yawned, twirling Thalassa's hair for a bit. "Night Lassa.." Soon after, the two fell asleep, Zak wrapping his arm around Thalassa before he did so.

-TIMESKIP-

"S-stay away, kitty.." Valant muttered in his sleep, snuggling into his covers more. It was about 2 AM, and Valant seemed to be having a bad dream. "N-no.. Not the thr-AAAAAAAGH!" He immediately sat up in the bed, panting heavily and clutching his throat. 'Oh god… What a horrifying dream…' Valant got back in the bed to try to sleep again, but then after 10 more minutes of tossing and turning, he gave up. The yellow magician got up, then walked out of his room. He then walked down the hallway, eventually getting to Zak's room, or Zak and Thalassa's room. Valant peeked through, lightly opening the door. "Zaaak…?" The older man did not respond. Valant sighed, walking up to the bed. Zak was lying on his back, Thalassa hugging his side as the two slept. A loud snore erupted from Zak as he slept. Valant shook Thalassa lightly, trying to wake her up. "Thalassa…. Thalassa, wake up…" Thalassa groaned lightly, looking up at him. "W-wha? Vally?" She yawned loudly. "What are you doing up?" Valant shook a bit. "I-I had a nightmare… About a cat scratching my throat out..." Thalassa let out a sympathetic sigh, then shook Zak lightly. "Zak, honey, wake up…" He woke up, letting out a large yawn. "Wha? What's going… Val? Dude, it's 2 in the morning. What are you doing up?" Valant twiddled his thumbs nervously. "I-I had a nightmare..." He started to sniffle. "C-can I sleep with you guys?" Zak raised an eyebrow. "Bitch. You're 31 years old. What the hell is wrong with you?" Valant whimpered, looking down at his socks. "Sorry…" Thalassa sighed, glaring at her husband. "Zak! That was rude!" Zak rolled his eyes. "It's his fault for being a damn baby…" Valant sniffled again, leading Zak to groan. "Jesus fucking Christ… You're acting like Roger.." He then let out a long and heavy sigh. "Fine… Just don't toss, or turn, or snore, ok?" Valant nodded, getting in the bed where Zak motioned to his other side. Valant tucked himself into the covers, hugging Zak immediately. Zak blushed, looking down at his partner. He chuckled a bit, patting Valant's head. "D'aww… He's so cute when he's sleeping…" Zak muttered, returning Valant's hug. Valant put his head on Zak's chest, leading the older man to lightly stroke his fingers through Valant's long black hair. He then sighed, looking back over at Thalassa, who was leaning on him. Zak patted her head as well, looking at the ceiling. 'Dammit! Why do I have to choose between these two? My wife… or my best friend?' He looked back at Valant, who whimpered a bit in his sleep. Zak lightly rubbed Valant's shoulder, lightly shushing the younger man. "Don't worry Val… Zak's here.." After a while, the younger man stopped whimpering, and instead started to lightly snore. Zak smiled, adjusting himself so Valant could put his other arm under Zak's back. 'Well, I can always get another wife, can't I?' Zak let out a yawn, sluggishly grinning at his sleeping partner. 'But, I can't get another best friend..' With that final thought, the older man fell asleep, releasing his other arm from around his wife, and wrapping it around Valant.

* * *

(Ok, before I start the author's notes, I need to mention that I do not support being unfaithful to your spouse. I mean, I'm 15, but still. Be faithful to your spouse! Anyway, back to the author's notes. I know, I know, Zak is acting uncanon as fuck, ignoring that one bit, but I had to do this so that the story would work! Plus, let's be honest. This entire story is uncanon to begin with. Valant probably isn't gay, and I'm sure Zak isn't either. ((This coming from the person who believes Valant is bisexual)) Even though, Zak probably would do a jerk move like that, it probably wouldn't be for Valant. Also, Valant being afraid of scary movies is kinda based on my own fear of them. I hate scary things! But, enough about me. I hope YOU GUYS enjoy this 4th chapter. Also, sorry if the next chapter doesn't get released in the next few weeks; I'm working on other fanfictions. I'm trying to work on them all equally. Also for the 4th time, I don't know why Cenna is nicknamed Chad. If y'all can make it a pun, that's great. This is the last thing, I promise. None of the movies mentioned are real. I've looked them up. They're not. Now, I hope you all truly enjoy this chapter!)


	5. Chapter 5: The Flu

Chapter 5: The Flu

(I know I don't usually put author's notes in the beginning, but I just want to warn you guys that there are multiple accounts of vomiting in the story. If that stuff makes you sick, then I recommend you tread carefully. Now on with the story!)

Valant was lying in his bed. Usually, he'd be up eating lunch by now, but he felt off today. Zak came in the room a few seconds later. "Hey Val. It's almost noon. You ok- Oh god, you look horrible.." Valant coughed, looking up at Zak. "No duh, Za-aaa-ACHOO!" He sneezed, rubbing his nose afterwards. "Excuse me.." Valant sniffled. Zak sighed. "I need to get something.. I'll be right back, ok buddy?" Valant nodded, sneezing again. 5 minutes later, Zak came back with a thermometer. "Alright buddy, I know this sounds kind of childish, but open wide." Valant did as he was told, but not before saying "Better than 'Say ahhh.'" Zak then put the thermometer in Val's mouth, reading the temperature as it went up. "Hmm.. 102.4. That's a kinda high fever, buddy." Valant sighed, shivering a bit. "Everything hurts.." Zak gave Valant a light kiss on the cheek. "Well, that's a bit dramatic, don't you think? You're going to have to be more specific than that. What hurts, Valant?" Valant sneezed again, before looking at Zak. "Uh.. Well, my head hurts, my nose feels all runny, my throat itches, and my stomach keeps tossing and turning.. Oh, and I feel really really tired." He sat up, sniffling. "That classifies as everything, right?" Zak chuckled lightly. "I guess it does. Here, this should help a bit." Zak handed Valant two bowls, which the younger man placed on his lap. "Cereal for the breakfast you missed, and chicken soup for lunch.. And, I guess your headache too." Valant smiled. "Thanks Zak.. But where did they come from? I didn't see them when you walked in." Zak raised an eyebrow. "Valant please. What am I?" Valant sniffled. "A jerk?" Zak glared at him. "Eesh, just kidding." Valant chuckled, taking a spoon out of his pocket. "We're magicians, obviously." Valant then proceeded to quickly slurp the soup, and eat the cereal. Zak chuckled again, taking out his phone. Valant swallowed a big gulp of soup, lightly belching afterwards. "Who're you calling, Zak?" Zak rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to say 'Excuse me.' after you burp, Val. But, if you really wanna know, I'm calling the doctor." Valant gasped. "The doctor?! I don't wanna shot…" He whimpered, looking up at Zak with pleading eyes. Zak groaned, facepalming. "Valant. You're not getting a shot. You just need a check up to make sure you don't have any major issues." Valant continued to look scared, so Zak decided to change his approach. "Valant. If I take you to the doctor's, and don't cause any issues, I'll take you to the movie store right afterwards and buy you Circus Gone Wrong." Valant gasped, his gaze of fear becoming one of eagerness. "You will?! I've been alakadying to see that movie! Thank you, Zak!" Valant hugged Zak immediately, to which Zak returned. "Only if you behave, Valant. Now let me call the doctor already, ok?" Valant nodded eagerly, grinning like a child. Zak chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully at Valant, before calling the doctor.

-TIMESKIP-

"Zaaak, how long do we have to wait for the doctor?" Valant whined, leaning on his older partner. Zak sighed. "Valant, we only got here 10 minutes ago. Be patient." Valant didn't say anything else for a while. Zak was, surprisingly, reading a book. 'Man, this book is actually kinda cool..' He then looked to Valant, who was leaning on his side. Smiling, he wrapped his other arm around Val. 'Strange.. Wonder why he's not talking. I mean, I guess being sick would do that to-' Zak's thoughts were interrupted by Valant's stomach gurgling. "Ugh.. I don't feel so good.." Valant groaned, leaning in closer to Zak. His face was looking rather pale. Zak hugged Valant tightly, rubbing his back with one hand, and holding him in the other. "Don't you worry Val… I'm here.. Zak is right here for ya." Valant smiled weakly at his partner. "T-thanks.." He gagged, putting his head on Zak's chest. "I think I'm going to be sick.." Zak looked at his sick friend, feeling absolutely horrible that this was happening to him. Zak was thankful when he heard the doctor call Valant's name. "Come on, buddy. They're calling you." Valant whimpered, suddenly hugging Zak. "I want you to carry me.." He mumbled, holding onto Zak tightly. Zak nodded, picking the sick magician up with ease. Zak then walked over to the nurse, ignoring the few confused glances he received. "I'm… not going to ask." The nurse simply said, looking at Zak and Valant. "Well, come along." Zak walked after the nurse as he led them to the place, not even bothering to take Valant's height and weight. Once they were well situated, the nurse spoke. "Hey, place him on the bed there." Zak did just that, still rubbing Valant's back. "So, you're Valant Gramarye, right?" The nurse said, turning to the sick magician. Valant nodded, clutching his stomach. The nurse lightly smiled. "Well, you can call me Nurse Alex, or Dr. Alex." Whichever you prefer. Now, tell me what's wrong, Valant." Valant hiccupped, before turning towards the nurse. "Well.. My head hurts, I can't stop coughing and *ACHOO!* sneezing, my stomach hurts like hell, I can't stop shivering, and finally, I don't feel like doing anything." Alex nodded, looking him over. "Mhm… Well, I have an idea of what's wrong with you already, but just to make sure.. I need to do this checkup." He walked closer to him, putting the stethoscope on his chest. "Breathe out, ok?" Valant nodded, doing that. After 4 breaths, he then checked Valant's eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and reflexes. Once Alex did that, he then sighed. "Alright Valant. I need you to lie on your back so I can check your stomach." Valant leaned more into Zak, who started to rub his side. "I-I don't feel so good.. Can I go to the bathroom..?" Alex had a sympathetic look in his eyes. "After I check your stomach, ok?" Valant nodded weakly, looking up at Zak, who gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "It'll be ok, buddy. I promise you." Valant then lay on his back, to which Alex sighed. "You know you have to put a medical gown on, right?" Valant turned on his side, about to say something. Instead, he threw up on the floor, clutching his stomach afterwards. Alex sighed again, putting on gloves and giving the trashcan to Valant. "Right.. Well, that confirms my suspicions. Valant Gramarye, you have influenza." Zak raised an eyebrow. "In..flen...what?" Valant sat up, still clutching his stomach as he turned to Zak. "H-he means the flu.. Influenza is its full name." Alex nodded, going through various drawers. "Exactly, Valant. Now, I'm going to have to prescribe some meds for you. Uh, don't worry about the floor. I'll clean it once you go. Just use the trashcan this time." Valant did just that, while Alex took out some medicines. Valant sneezed once he finished puking, leaning on Zak as the older man comforted him. "This Claritin should help with your sneezing, these antacids can help your stomach, this Benadryl should help your throat, and of course, get lots of rest. I'll just put all of it in a bag so you can carry them easily." Alex then looked to Zak, who was hugging the sick magician. "Uh, you know the flu is contagious, right?" Zak nodded. "Oh, I know. But unlike this idiot, I got my flu shot." Valant mumbled. "It's not like the flu is deadly or anything." Alex looked at him, no expression on his face. "Oh, yes it is. Flu kills people often." Valant sniffled, starting to tear up. Zak glared at Alex, then hugged Valant tightly. "Nonononono.. It's ok, buddy. You're not going to die.. Look, let's get home so you can rest, ok?" Zak grabbed the bag of medicines in one arm, using his other arm to hold Valant, who was lightly crying into Zak's shoulder. After flicking Alex off for making Valant cry, Zak left the office, making sure to stop by the movie store before heading home. Once they arrived, the first thing Valant did was throw up in their garbage can. Then he walked inside, leaning on Zak the entire way. 'Poor guy..' Zak thought, looking at Valant, who let out a loud sneeze. Zak handed him a tissue once they were back inside. "Do you need anything, Val?" Valant looked at Zak. "My head hurts…" Zak bent down to Valant, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Did that help?" Valant let out a weak chuckle. "N-not really.. But thanks anyway." Zak gave Valant a hug, kissing him again. "No problem. Hey, how about you get that rest now? I'll wake you up later for the medicine." Valant nodded weakly, holding his arms out for Zak to pick him up. "My stomach hurts…" He mumbled as Zak picked him up. Zak held him in a child-like position, rubbing his back. "Shhhh, it's ok, buddy. Those antacids Alex gave you should help.." Valant looked up at Zak, a nervous look on his face. "Zak… What if I die from this flu?" Zak paused in front of the door to Valant's room. "Valant Gramarye." He put Valant down, glaring for a second. "You listen to me. You are not going to die. You've been through worse in your life and you know that. Remember when you got that stomach flu?" Valant nodded weakly. "My stomach hurts even more remembering that." Zak frowned, opening the door to his partner's room. "Get some sleep buddy. Everything will be fine." Zak gave the younger man a quick peck on the cheek, to which Valant kissed him back. Valant climbed in the bed, about to lay down, before he started gagging. Zak gasped, picking up a nearby trashcan and quickly handing it to him. Valant took the can, immediately vomiting in it, filling it halfway within a few minutes. Valant groaned, leaning on his side. Zak frowned, sitting next to Valant and rubbing his back to help him get to sleep. "Z-Zak?" Valant mumbled, looking up at his partner. "Can you stay here?" Zak shook his head. "I wish I could, buddy, but I have other things to do. Besides, I need to give you the medicine, and I left the bag in the living room." Valant sighed, leaning back on his pillow. After about 10 minutes, Valant fell asleep, breathing heavily. Zak smiled at his partner, rubbing his back a bit more just in case. Once he felt for sure that Valant was ok, he stopped, giving Valant a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Valant. Feel better." Zak then picked up the trashcan and left to let Valant rest. For the next few hours, Valant continued to sleep, but every now and then, Zak would wake Valant up to check on him. Sometimes, things would be ok, and Zak would just leave without any issues, but other times, Valant would have very bad vomiting, or huge coughing fits, or something where Zak would have to stay for a while longer. Zak would also check Valant's temperature to see if it went up or down, and of course, give Valant the required medicine he needed for his respective ailments. Around 6 PM, Valant officially woke up. Zak was notified of this by Valant's loud yawn, as he looked up from reading the book he had read earlier, Gulliver's Travels. "Heya buddy. Feeling better?" Valant nodded lightly. "Yeah, I think. I don't feel as nauseous, and my head doesn't hurt as much." Zak grinned, getting up. "That's great! Let me just check your temperature." He walked over to Valant, checking the younger man's temperature. "Hmm… 98.6. Yup, I think you're better." Valant smiled, giving Zak a huge hug. "Thank you Zak! You're the greatest! I would probably be dead if it weren't for you." Zak let out a chuckled, patting Valant's back. "No problem, Val. Anything for my partner and best friend." He patted Valant on the head, smiling as well. Suddenly, Zak let out a loud sneeze, rubbing his nose. "Bless you, Zakko." Valant smirked, climbing out of the bed. "Looks like you caught my flu, Mr. 'I took my flu shot.'" Zak shook his head, sneezing again. "N-no I didn't... I-I took my flu… shot... *hic*.." Zak suddenly barfed on the floor, groaning afterwards. Valant chuckled, patting Zak on the back. "You must've got it the second you came into my room, and it was just surfacing in you the entire afternoon to now. Don't worry Zak. You scratch my back, I scratch yours." Zak groaned, hiccupping again. "B-but.." Valant put his hand up to silence the older man. "No buts. I may not be able to carry you like you could for me, and I may not be as easy to lean on since you're taller than me, but I can still be a great caretaker. Like I said, you helped take care of me; now I'll help take care of you." Valant then took the thermometer from Zak's hand, and put it in his mouth. After a bit, he took it out and read the temperature. "103.4, huh? Eesh, you're burning up, big guy." Valant felt Zak's forehead to confirm that, then gave him a light kiss on the forehead. "Thankfully, I can't get the flu again for a while since I just had it. Come on, Zak. Let's get you into bed." Zak nodded lightly, starting to cough and gag. Valant then started to lightly rub his back for a bit, as the two walked on to Zak's room.

* * *

(Well, ok. I originally had planned to write this chapter about them going on a camping trip, but the idea of sick Valant won me over. The trip will come, I promise you. And no, it's not the next chapter. The main question y'all have is probably how do I know so much about the flu at my age. Well, 1: I've had the symptoms before. I don't think I've ever actually had the flu though, but I have had all of the symptoms in other forms of illness. and 2: I looked it up. Thank the world for Google. Though what I got through Google was just clarification. And the doctor's checkup crap might be inaccurate since I'm basing it off of my checkups, and Valant is neither a girl, nor a teenager. It even took me awhile to find the name for those robes you wear at the doctor's office. Oh yeah, also. When Zak brought the two bowls to Valant, he had made them disappear so he could open the door, then reappear to give them to Valant. Valant also made a spoon appear in his pocket. They are magicians, after all. This next chapter should be really cute, adorable, and just downright precious. How you ask? Well, that would spoil the chapter. Oh yeah, school's almost out! That means I should have more time to work on the book! I don't know how long this book will be, but it should be my longest fanfiction for a while. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and to those of you who are actually sick, feel better! Also, I apologize if all of the vomiting made anyone either feel sick, or actually vomit.)


	6. Chapter 6: The Puppies

Chapter 6: The Puppies

"Valant, please. If you eat all that now, you're not gonna have any dinner to eat when we get home." Zak chuckled, looking at his partner, who was currently going through a bag of MacDonald's. "But I'm huuungry." Valant mumbled through a Big Mac. Zak sighed, looking in his own bag. "Fine, but don't expect me to share if you get hungry later." Valant nodded, chewing a bit before swallowing the Big Mac. "Ok." Zak whistled a bit, looking around. After Thalassa complained that Zak and Valant were lazy fuckers who never got out of the house, the two of them decided to go to the arcade and play some video games. After that, they went to MacDonalds to eat, but they decided not to stay and eat. Zak looked behind him, gasping when he noticed Valant was gone. "V-Val?" Zak looked around frantically, before noticing him near a dumpster. "Val? What are you do- huh?" He looked down to see the younger man playing with a bunch of Chihuahua puppies. He also had given the puppies some McNuggets, as they did look rather hungry. "Eat up little ones! They may not be gourmet dog food, but it'll have to do." He said, petting them individually. Zak raised an eyebrow, looking at his partner. "Valant..? What are you doing?" Valant looked up at Zak, smiling. "Well, while you were talking, I overheard some light whimpering. I then went over to the dumpster to find a box filled with these 6 Chihuahua pups. They don't seem to have a mom, and they're also really hungry, like me." He added that last part after his stomach rumbled. "So I gave them my McNuggets to eat." Zak cracked a smile, chuckling a bit. "Well, isn't that adorable.." Valant grinned, picking up the 6 puppies. "Yup! And I already have names for them!" Zak sighed, sweatdropping. "Names? Hoo boy." Valant nodded. "Mhm! These two chocolate brown Chihuahuas are Cocoa and Peanut, the black one is called Moon, the white one is Vanilla, the tan one is Cinnamon, and the blue one is River." Zak looked at River, raising an eyebrow. "Chihuahuas can be blue?" Valant chuckled. "Well, technically, it's grey. But, she looks blue, doesn't she?" Zak nodded, petting River. "These guys are cute, Val, but we gotta go home. You can visit them another day." Valant frowned. "Can't we keep them?" Zak shook his head. "Hell no. Magnifi would scream if he had to hear that constant yapping. And, to be honest, so would I. But hey, you could always visit them another day." Valant's frown grew, but he nodded and put the puppies back in the box. "Can I have a minute to say bye, Zakko?" Zak nodded, going to sit at a nearby park bench. The older man started to daydream a bit, remembering the childhood dog that he had. 'Rest in peace, Rocko. Rest in peace.' Zak felt his stomach rumble, so he started eating his Big Mac. "Zaaaaak! I'm back!" Valant was grinning, running over to the older man. Zak chuckled, looking him over. Then he raised an eyebrow as he looked at Valant's stomach. "Val…. This is why I told you to save your food." Valant looked down at the now bulging belly area of his hoodie. "Hehe, yeah.. I told you I was hungry.." There was a bit of nervousness to his voice, prompting Zak to feel a bit suspicious. 'I swear to god, he better not have stolen something.' Zak then stood up. "Welp, let's go home then." Valant nodded, walking after him. Zak looked back at Valant, curious as to why he seemed to be holding his hoodie up. Like there was something underneath the hoodie. Once they got home, Zak took off his shirt, revealing a tank top underneath. "Fucking Christ.. Why's the house so damn hot?" He then looked over at Valant. "You should probably take off that hoodie. Don't wanna die of heat exhaustion, now." Valant chuckled nervously. "Nah, I'm fine.." He fanned himself with one hand, leading Zak to raise an eyebrow. "If you're so 'fine', why are you fanning yourself?" Valant chuckled again. "Uh..." Zak went up to Valant, poking him in the bulging area of his hoodie. He paused when he heard a yelp. "Valant… Did your stomach just yelp?" Valant backed away, starting to sweat. "N-no… I'm just hungry.. I swear on my life." Zak didn't say anything, instead narrowing his eyes. "Zak? What are you doing?" The older man said nothing, his eyes glowing a light red as he looked at his partner. After a few minutes, Zak looked back at Valant, grinning. "You know, Val. When you said 'I'm just hungry.', you started rubbing your stomach under your hoodie, like you were full. There's something under that hoodie, isn't there?" Valant started sweating even more, glancing around the room nervously. "Well, buddy. You're making yourself look even more guilty. Just take the hoodie off before you overheat." Valant panted, not saying anything for a second. He then took the hoodie off, revealing the 6 puppies. Zak facepalmed. "You have got to be kidding me. You TOOK THE PUPPIES?!" Valant nodded, putting the puppies on the floor. "Well…" Valant cleared his throat for a second. When I went to say goodbye, they were looking at me with the eyes. Those eyes.. I couldn't resist, Zak! They were practically screaming at me to take them.." Zak looked at Valant, who was starting to tear up. "B-besides.. There are 6 puppies. That's enough for each of us to have one. Even Trucy could have one." Coincidentally, the young magician came into the room at that moment, gasping when she saw the puppies. "PUPPIES!" She ran over, hugging River. "Daddy, are we keeping them? I want this one." Trucy grinned, looking up at Zak expectantly. Zak looked from Valant to Trucy, then at the puppies. He let out a sigh, then smiled at Trucy. "Of course, sweetie. Why wouldn't we?" Trucy giggled, hugging River even tighter. "Yaaaaaaay! Come on, puppy! Let's pway!" Trucy ran off, leaving the other 5 puppies behind. Valant picked up Vanilla, smiling at Zak. "Thank you.." Zak rolled his eyes. "I'm only doing this for Trucy, not you. Got that?" Valant nodded, still smiling as he walked off with the cream colored puppy. Zak shook his head, rolling his eyes as he looked at Moon. 'Gotta admit. He's kinda cute.' Moon started to lick his bare feet, leading Zak to giggle a bit. "H-hey, stop that.." Zak picked up the puppy, who then proceeded to lick his fingers. Zak stifled a second giggle, petting the puppy behind the ears. He then walked off to his room, continuing to play with the black Chihuahua. Over the course of several days, Magnifi, Roger, and Thalassa got to know, and love Peanut, Cocoa, and Cinnamon respectively. Magnifi liked Peanut for her calmness, Roger liked Cocoa for his energy, and Thalassa liked Cinnamon for her intelligence. Despite his love of Moon, Zak kept feeling that these pups weren't just strays. "Hey Thalassa. Do you want to take a walk with me?" He asked his wife as he walked over to her. She looked over at him, petting a sleeping Cinnamon. "No problem, but why?" Zak shrugged. "Well, part of me feels that these pups have a home they belong to, and it isn't with us." Thalassa nodded, getting up. Thalassa nodded, getting up. The two then left, but not before asking Magnifi to keep track of everyone. Once they did so, the couple left, walking around town. Eventually, the two came across an animal shelter which had a Chihuahua wearing a rather decorated collar in the store window. Curious, the two walked in. "Hello! Welcome to Lotsa Pets! How may I help you today?" The two turned to a young looking man, with black, messy hair. "Well, me and my wife here were wondering about this Chihuahua." Zak said, nodding over to the Chihuahua. The black haired male smiled. "Oh, you mean Sweetie. She's not for sale, actually." He went over to the Chihuahua, petting one of her ears. "She belongs to the famous actor, Adrianne Holly. You've probably heard of her." Thalassa nodded, while Zak shook his head. "Well, anyway, funny story about her. Sweetie had 6 puppies about a few weeks ago. There were three boys and three girls. However, when we were shipping them here, the box they were in fell off the truck. They fell near a dumpster. We checked recently, but found that they were missing, but the box was there. Do you know anything about this?" Zak and Thalassa exchanged glances, then nodded. "Yeah, we do." Thalassa piped up. "We have the puppies, and we can bring them. When do you need them by?" The male gasped, smiling. "Thank you! Yes, I need them by this Friday! And what are your names?" Zak grinned. "I'm Zak Gramarye, and this is my wife Thalassa. What about you?" The male bowed nervously. "My name is Stewart Jacks. Uh, thank you again." The couple chuckled. "No problem! Have a nice day!" Thalassa smiled, then waved as the two left. Zak chuckled. "Well, I guess my suspicions were right." Thalassa nodded. "Yeah, though I gotta say. I'm gonna feel bad for Valant when we tell him." Zak paused, imagining his reaction. "Yeah… Me too. well, let's go on home." Thalassa nodded, and the two walked back to the Gramarye house. Once they got there, they looked around for the puppies, only to find them all sleeping on Valant, who was sleeping as well on the couch. Thalassa chuckled a bit, nudging at Zak. "Aww, they look so cute.." Zak nodded, chuckling as well. "Well, I guess we can't tell him now, can we?" Thalassa shook her head. "No, we can't. But where'd dad go?" Zak smirked a bit, looking over at Magnifi, who was sleeping on the other couch. However, he seemed to be waking up at the sound of Zak and Thalassa's voice. "Someone say my name?" Thalassa nodded. "We were just curious as to where you were, dad." Magnifi sighed. "Well, if that's all, then I guess I'll go back to sleep." He paused for a second, looking at Valant. "Though, I have a feeling the puppies are going to be leaving us soon." Zak and Thalassa nodded, telling him what happened at Lotsa Pets. "And they belong to Angelica Holy, huh?" Thalassa sighed. "Adrianne Holly, dad. But yeah, her and her momma Chihuahua Sweetie." Magnifi sighed heavily. "As I figured. But what are you going to tell Valant? He's going to be devastated." Zak sighed. "I'll figure that out when the time comes.." Thalassa looked over at Valant as he murmured something in his sleep, turning on his side. "Well, I'm going to make dinner. Wanna help, dad?" Magnifi nodded, leaving Zak with Valant and the puppies. Zak sighed, going over to Valant. "I'm sorry bud.. I know you loved these guys, but if they have an owner, we can't keep them." He kissed Valant on the cheek, about to walk away when Moon woke up. The black puppy looked right at Zak, his eyes just screaming "You're going to get rid of us, aren't you?". Zak pet the black puppy behind the ears, giving it a sympathetic stare. "I know you want to stay with me, but we found your mom at a shelter. You want to return to your mom, don't you?" Moon panted, yipping quietly. "I thought so. Now I'll tell him once he wakes up." Zak looked around to make sure he wasn't being watched, then gave the little puppy a quick kiss on the nose. "You tell anyone about this, and I might leave you back by the dumpster." He joked, putting the puppy down. He then left to his room, thinking about what happened today.

-TIMESKIP-

Zak was sitting on the couch watching some TV, occasionally looking over at Valant, who sat next to him. "Hey Zak. Why do you keep looking at me?" Valant inquired, as Zak met his gaze. Zak paused, not realizing that Valant had noticed him immediately. "Well, uh.." Valant raised an eyebrow. "Well, uh, what? Zak, what are you keeping from me?" Zak sighed heavily, looking at Valant. 'Please don't hate me, Val..' Valant looked at Zak, waiting for an answer. "Val, we found the puppies' mother at a nearby shelter." Valant gasped. "That's great! We can adopt her too!-" Zak stopped him. "I'm not done, bud. We found her owner too, and she's looking for the puppies. Valant, we need to take them back." For a minute, the yellow clad magician said nothing. Zak got up, but was stopped by Valant, who suddenly grabbed his arm. "Zaaak.. You're not serious, are you?" Zak sighed, sitting back down. "Valant, don't do this… We can't keep the pups if we know they belong to someone." Valant sniffled. "B-but, I love them.." Zak beckoned his partner to come closer, to which he did, leaning on Zak's side. "I do too, Val. But there will be other puppies." Valant frowned. "What if I never see them again?" Zak paused for a minute. "Their mother is owned by a famous person, Adrianne Holly. I'm sure they'll be on TV or some crap." Valant started to sniffle some more, then started to cry. "I don't wanna give 'em uuuuuuup.." Zak clutched Valant close to him, lightly rubbing his back. "Ssshh Vally. It'll be ok. There'll be other pups." Valant started to cry louder at that, leading Zak to rub his back faster. Zak then sighed, running his fingers through Valant's hair. 'Dammit Val.. Why do you have to go and make this harder for me?' Zak lifted Valant's head up, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Val, I don't wanna do this either, but we have to do the right thing. Don't worry, you can come too, to say goodbye." Valant nodded, wiping his eyes. "T-thanks.." Zak cracked a smile, then got up. "I'll go get the pups." Zak walked off, coming back with them a few minutes later. Zak was holding all 6 puppies, except Moon, who was sitting on his head. "K, I got all of them. Everybody wanted to say bye first, though. Now, let's go." Valant nodded, a sad look still on his face. Zak flashed him a sympathetic smile, then walked to the door. Valant raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" Zak sighed, turning to his partner. "Val, I can't open the door with these puppies in my arms." Valant gasped. "Oh yeah!" He then opened the door, and the two headed off. Once they arrived, Stewart immediately gasped. "The puppies! Oh, thank you! Put them with their mother please?" Zak nodded, doing just that. He then looked up at Moon. "Come on, boy. Go join your mother." Moon hopped off of Zak's head and went to join his mother. The 6 puppies nuzzled their mother, while the humans watched. "Again, thank you two. It turns out that Mrs. Holly is coming in early. She'll be here later today, so it's a good thing you brought the pups here when you did, Mr. Zak." Zak chuckled, a light smirk emerging on his face. "It's no problem, Stew. We really loved these puppies back at home, especially Val here." He nodded to the man next to him, who was looking down. "Val, be nice." He nudged Valant, who started to sniffle. "S-Sorry…" He quickly muttered, as Zak started to rub his head. "Vally, come on.. These pups have to go back to their mom. How would you feel if I took you away from your mom, and you knew she was still alive?" Valant paused for a minute, tears starting to stream on down. "I-I guess I wouldn't like it. I'd be scared, and probably nervous as to why I haven't reunited with her." Zak nodded, cracking a smile. "Exactly, bud. These puppies probably felt the exact same. And trust me, I'm gonna miss them too. So will everyone else. But they belong here, with their mother. Ok, Valant?" Valant nodded lightly, but continued to lightly cry. "O-ok.. But, if they belong to the celebrity, how will I ever see them again?" Zak opened his mouth to answer, but then was interrupted by Adrianne Holly herself. "Well, that's simple. You can come see my newest show." Stewart, Zak, and Valant turned to the actor, who started petting Sweetie. "Her puppies?! They're back! Oh joy!" She smiled brightly, then turned to the 3 men. "Ok, I'm going to guess it was you two who brought them back?" Zak and Valant exchanged glances, then looked to Adrianne. For a minute, the two couldn't say a word, as the actor was rather attractive. After a bit more, Stewart had to pipe up. "Yes, they did." Adrianne smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that." She then pulled out two tickets to a play. "I don't normally do this, even for fans, but since you two helped my little Sweetie find her puppies, I would be delighted to do this." She handed them the tickets. "I give you two these tickets to my latest show! It's what you deserve for being such helpful young men." Zak and Val chuckled nervously, scratching the back of their heads. "It's no problem, miss Holly." Valant stammered, starting to lightly blush. Zak nodded, stammering as well. "Y-yeah, no problem…" Adrianne picked up Sweetie, putting the mother Chihuahua in her rather large purse. The puppies were then put in, one by one. "Well, I'll see you boys around." She then left the pet shop, the Chihuahuas yelping quietly. Zak sighed. "Well, Vally. I guess we should be getting home now." Valant nodded, and the two exited of the pet shop. Zak looked around the now dark street, then turned to Valant. "See buddy? That wasn't so bad." Valant didn't say anything for a second, then started sniffling again. "I-I loved them so much… Dammit Zak! It's not fair!" He started crying again, leaning on Zak's shoulder. Zak sighed, rubbing Valant's side and shushing him to try and calm him down. "Shhh buddy… Don't cry, don't cry.. The puppies are going to be at the play! You'll get to see them there!" Valant whimpered. "But I wanna keep 'em.." Zak paused. "Hmm.. Well, you can't do that. Why don't we go on home? I'm sure you'll forget all about them until we have see the play." Valant didn't say anything more, so the two just walked home. About 15 minutes later, Zak got home with a now tired Valant at his side. "Get some sleep, ok buddy?" Valant yawned loudly, sluggishly nodding. As Valant walked to his room, Zak sat on the couch. 'Valant said he wanted a dog. I guess I'll have to give him one.'

-TIMESKIP-

Valant let out a loud yawn, stretching as he did so. Scratching his stomach, he exited his room, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas, nor comb his long black hair. He decided to check on Zak, whose room happened to be across from his. Strangely enough, neither Zak, nor Thalassa was there. Even though it was around 5:00 AM, it was a Saturday, and sleeping in is a common thing on the weekends. Even for Thalassa, who got up the earliest of all of them. Valant continued on to Trucy's room. The young infant was also not asleep, and wasn't even in her crib. He continued on, relieved to find Magnifi asleep, and Roger grabbing an early morning snack. "Hey big brother." Roger said, looking up at Valant. Valant smiled. "Heya Rogie. Hungry, I take it?" Roger nodded, handing the older man a sandwich. "Here ya go, big brother! Oh, and Zak has a suprise for you!" Valant took the sandwich, raising an eyebrow. "A surprise? What for, baby bro?" Roger shrugged. "Something about something that you deserved. Check the living room." Confused, Valant walked to the living room, still eating his sandwich. He heard a sudden yelp, which confused him even more. His confusion turned to astonishment and joy when he saw Zak, Thalassa, and Trucy. And a golden retriever puppy. "Took you long enough, Val." Valant gasped. "Zak? Who's this puppy?" Zak smiled. "This is Lucky. He was a stray that Lotsa Pets picked up earlier this week. He's named Lucky for all that he's been through at his age. And, he's yours." Valant looked at the puppy, who barked. "Mine? But my birthday isn't for weeks." Zak nodded. "Oh, I know that. But you were so sad when you lost those puppies, it kinda hurt me. Plus, Trucy was just as sad as you were when we took the puppies back. So, you two are technically sharing Lucky." Valant's already growing grin grew a lot bigger, then he suddenly hugged Zak. "Thank you, Zak! You're the greatest!" Zak chuckled, patting Valant's back. "No problem, bud." Valant then let go of the older man, and ran to play with Lucky. Zak joined Valant after a while, and soon, everyone else in the living room was playing with the new addition.

(Wow, that took awhile! I'm running out of ideas so there will probably only be 2 chapters left after this one. Now, you may be asking. "Syd, who's Adrianne Holly?" Eh, she's just a character I made up for the story. Same with Stewart, and Dr. Alex of last chapter. They're not official OCs. Another question might be about Roger and Valant. Well, in my headcanon, the two of them were really good friends. I figured since Zak had Thalassa as his wife, and Magnifi had Spark as a friend, Valant and Roger had each other as "brothers". That's why Roger called Valant "big brother", and why Valant called Roger "Rogie"or "baby bro". Finally, y'all may be asking about the two and Adrianne. Well, due to me shipping both Valassa and Zakalant, I headcanon Valant as bisexual. As for Zak, well, I feel like he's still straight, but he admires Valant a little bit. Y'all are also welcome to comment on the story your questions. Constructive criticism would be nice as well. And no, this is not me telling y'all to comment. It's just a suggestion. I hope y'all enjoy chapter, and are enjoying the story!)


	7. An Announcement

Hey y'all! For those of you who know that I exist, you know that this story hasn't been updated in forever. Why? Well, a. I haven't finished writing the most recent chapter, and b. I really hate this story. Now, what does this mean for you all? I'm going to delete it. If anybody wants it to stay, say so in the comments so I can decide whether to leave it or not. I'll give you all one day for decision making.


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